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It’s been just over 2 years since Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. In February of last year, three tribes participated in a pilot project to exercise the special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction (SDVCJ) portion of the law. Under SDVCJ, some tribes can prosecute Natives and non-Natives for domestic violence, dating violence or violation of some protection orders in Indian country. Tribes must meet certain requirements in order to assert jurisdiction but some are questioning if a non-Native can get a fair trial in tribal court. Join us as we discuss the outcomes of the pilot projects.
Guests:
Matthew Fletcher (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians) – director of the Indigenous Law & Policy Center at Michigan State University
Deborah Parker (Tulalip Tribes) – Councilwoman for the Tulalip Tribes
Alfred Urbina (Pascua Yaqui) – Attorney General for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe
Break Music: For the Light (song) Digging Roots (artist) For the Light (album)
What kind of costs do tribes incur if they adopt VAWA? I asked our tribal chairman if we were going to adopt VAWA here at the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and he believes the board would not adopt it into action because of funds.
Is this an expensive idea? How then, can we protect our families and do what VAWA was intended to do?